California gunman to appear in court on murder count

by Tara Page on 21/04/2017

He is also charged in the death of Carl Williams, 25, a Motel 6 security guard, over a fight between himself, a woman he was visiting and the hotel staff, the Fresno Bee reported. "These were unprovoked attacks", he said."This was a random act of violence", Mr Dyer said.

Now investigators have to piece together what drove Kori Ali Muhammad, 39, to open fire Tuesday afternoon and determine if what he did could be considered a hate crime. Friends say Randalls had just started his new job as a customer-service representative and was doing a ride-along Tuesday.

Valencia called Randalls "one of the wittiest people he's ever known", saying the two loved to laugh. "There were no boundaries with race, religions, beliefs, with anything. You don't get friends like that every day", Gilbert said. "He was a stand-up guy".

Suspect Kori Ali Muhammad killed three white men on April 18, 2017 in Fresno, California. Wright says he expects the arraignment will be scheduled for Friday. Another had just picked up a bag of groceries. His body was draped in a blanket on the sidewalk leading to Stephen Hughes' home. On Sunday, he cut off his braids and burned them in a remote area further west, police said, and continued to hide out until Tuesday. He tried to flee from the assailant, who eventually caught up with him in the parking lot of the local Catholic Charities. Sixteen rounds were fired in four locations, Dyer said.

Zackary Randalls, who was married with two children, is seen in an image provided by the Fresno Police Department.

Police say Muhammad gave rare and unusual details about his movements and the killings over several hours of questioning following his arrest, even returning with officers to the crimes scenes and demonstrating his actions.

The first of many vigils was held for the victims of the Central Fresno shooting spree that left three dead.

Police had been looking for Muhammad in the death of the guard, 25-year-old Carl Williams. The suspect then threw himself on the ground and surrendered. Dyer said he surrendered to a responding officer without incident and later apologized to the chief.

During the shooting rampage, Muhammad fired several times at two Hispanic women in a vehicle, but he stopped shooting once he realized they were Hispanic and let them go, Dyer said.

Gassett had been staying at a rehabilitation facility nearby and frequented the food bank, Wagner said.

"He said he is Muslim, but prays to seven different gods", the police chief said.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer describing the shooting at a press conference. Dyer described Muhammad as a "racist" rather than a terrorist.

It wasn't until Tuesday, when Muhammad saw on the local news that he was a suspect in the murder of the guard, that Muhammad made a decision to kill more.

The mother of a man killed at a Fresno motel days before the same suspect was accused of a shooting rampage says she's grateful she told her son she loved him before he died.

Phyllis Cervantes, right, says a prayer for Tuesday's shooting victims at a memorial of candles and flowers outside Catholic Charities on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Fresno, Calif.

Police were searching for the revolver Muhammad said he tossed into a pile of clothing.

On his Facebook page, Muhammad hailed black pride and nationalism.

His criminal record also includes making criminal threats, forgery, false imprisonment and driving under the influence, online records state. He had been associated with gangs, but he was not a confirmed member, police said.

In 2005, Muhammad was indicted by a grand jury on cocaine and firearm possession, but was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. It is unclear if Muhammad has retained an attorney. He suffered "auditory hallucinations and had at least two prior mental health hospitalizations", according to court documents.